Reversing-gear for engines.



A. RUNNION.

REVERSING GEAR FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.10, 1907.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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A. RUNNION.

REVBRSING GEAR FOR ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1907 91 2,893. Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATET FFICE.

ALONZO RUNNION, OF SPENCER, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, 0F TWO-THIRDS TO LEWIS S. GOFF AND ONE-THIRD TO OKEY J.CHAMBERS, OF

SPENCER, WEST VIRGINIA.

REVERSING-GEAR FOR ENGINES.

ire-912,893.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo RUNNIoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spencer, in the county of Roane and State 0 West Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversing Gear forEngines, of which the following is a s ecification.

y said invention consists in certain improvements in the constructionand arrangement of parts of reversing gear for steam engines, wherebysuch a gear is provided which is sim lo and inex ensive in itsconstruction MIC? efficient an positive in operation, all as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof andon which similar reference characters indicate similar parts; Figure 1is a top or plan view of a single stationary engine embodying my saidinvention, Fig. 2 a horizontal section through the cylinder and steamchest thereof showing in section the parts constituting my saidinvention, and one means for operating the reversing plate, Fig. 3 adetail perspective view of the slide valve and adjacent partsillustrating their form and construction more clearly, Fig. 4, adiagrammatic view showing the reversing plate in dotted lines and thesteam orts through the same indicated by whole ines, to show the formand direction of said ports more clearly, Fig. 5 a view similar to aportion of Fig. 2 with the reversing plate in the other position fromthat shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 a detail view of the joint inthe eccentricarm for operating the valve rod, and Fig. 7 a sectional view, through aportion of the steam chest illustrating the preferred arrangement foroperating the reversing plate on an enlarged scale.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the bed of the engine,B the cylinder, and C the steam chest. The bed A, cylinder B and steamchest C are, or may be, inthemselves, of any ordinary or ap provedconstruction and need no especial description herein.

It will be understood, of course, that while I have shown a singleengine of the stationary type yet the invention is equally applicable toa double cylinder engine, a locomotive, or an engine of any type. In

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10, 1907.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Serial No. 392,192.

the engine shown the single cylinder B has a piston B mounted on apiston-rod B which extends through the stufiing-box in the inner head ofsaid cylinder, as usual, and the outer end of which is connected to acrosshead I) which is mounted to slide in ways a on the frame A and ispivotally connected to the rod B which is mounted on the crank it of theshaft (0 of the engine. A fly-wheel o is mounted on said shaft, asshown.

The steam chest 0 is provided with a steam-inlet c and anexhaust-port 1) leads through the adjacent side B of the cylinder B.Steam-ports 2 and 3 lead through the side B into the cylinder at pointsnear each end thereof. The reversing plate '0 is mounted on the outerface of the side B and is formed with ports 4, 5, 6 and 7 leadingthrough said plate and arranged to register with the ports 2 and 3, aswill be presently described. The ports I consist of a series of holesextending straight through plate C near one end and the ports 5 consistof a similar series extending through near the opposite end of saidplate, the two parts being arranged a distance apart so that they willregister with the ports 2 and 3 when the plate is in the position shownin Fig. 2. The port 6 extends from the upper side of plate C down intosaid plate and then lengthwise of said plate to a point adjacent to theports 4 where it extends through the opposite side of said plate. Theport 7 leads through the plate C from a point on its upper side adjacentto the ports 4 to a point on the o posito side and near the other end ofsaid p ate adjacent to the ports 5. The ends of ports 6 and 7 aresubstantially opposite each other on diiierent sides of the plate. Theslide valve C is mounted on the outer face of said plate C and is formedwith a hollow chamber or port 8 of a length to form a connection betweeneither of the ports at one end of the plate C which should be inconnection with the exhaust end of the cylinder and the exhaust-port I)through a central port 9 in said plate C. A transverse bar 0 is securedon the outer face of said valve C and supports it in proper alinement inthe steam chest C the ends of said bar being adapted to slide on thesides of said steam chest. On the inner end of said valve are formedupwardly extending -lingers c behind which a T-shaped head 0 on the endof the valve-rod C is adapted to engage and thus connect said valve withsaid valve-rod. Said valve-rod is connected by a pivot-bolt c with thearm C which is mounted in the usual manner on the eccentric C arm C isformed in two parts secured together by clamping bolts c extendingthrough holes in one and a slot in the other, as shown most clearly inFig. 6. The plate C, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is formed with inturnedlugs c on its inner end with which a hook-shaped part c on the end ofthe sleeve C is adapted to engage. Said sleeve C is mounted in thestuffing-box in the end of the steam chest C and the valve-rod C fitssnugly and is adapted to slide within said sleeve. On the outer end ofsaid sleeve it is provided with a collar C having a pin .0 which isadapted to engage with a slot 0 in a lever C which is mounted on a pivota on a part of the bed or frame A. AbarC is pivoted on steam chest C andhas notches c to engage lever C and hold it in either posi tion desired.

As shown in Fig. 7, the reversing plate C is loosely connected, at oneside, with an arm 9 ofa sliding piston JG mounted in a steam chamber Gon one side of steam chest 0. Said steam chamber is connected at eachend by ports g and 9 respectively,

- with a valve casing G containing a valve G for controlling the flow ofsteam into one end or the other of chamber G as desired. Said valve isprovided with an operating lever g and the valve casing has a steaminlet pipe g connected with any source of supply.

The operation of my said invention is as follows: The parts being in theposition shown in Fig. 2, the live steam passes through the steam-pipe 0into the steam chest 0 and from thence through ports 4 of the plate Cand port 2 which extends through the side B of cylinder B into saidcylinder behind piston B where it expands and drives said piston towardthe opposite end of the cylinder. At the same time the spent steam onthe opposite side of the piston B exhausts through ort 3 in side B andthe port 5 in the plate V, the port 8 in the under side of the slidevalve C and the central port 9 in plate G into the exhaust port I),which extends through the side B. When piston B has reached the oppositeend of cylinder B the slide valve C will have been shifted by reason ofits connection with the eccentric C above described, so as to uncoverthe ports 5 and to throw ports 4 under the slide valve O and intocommunication, through port 9, with the exhaust port 5, when the courseof the live. steam and the exhaust steam will be into and from theopposite ends of the cylinder, in the same manner as above described.

When it is desired to reverse the engine by Said I plate to reverse theengine as desired. If

the preferred arrangement, as shown in Fig. 7, the ooerator shifts valveG by means of lever g from a central position, which holds both parts 9and 9 closed, to open whichever port required to let steam into that endof chamber G that will drive piston G to shift the form shown in Figs.1, 2 and 3 is used then the operator disconnects lever C from i thenotch in holding bar C with which it is engaged and by means of saidlever slides the sleeve C to throw the reversing plate C from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 5. When in this positionthe live steam will pass into port 7 and through said port dischargeinto port 3 at the opposite end of cylinder B while the exhaust steamwill pass through port 2 into port 6 and discharge into port 8 andthrough port 9 into the exhaust port I). As the slide valve C isoperated back and forth the operation of the engine will be the same asabove described, the ports 6 and 7 through the reversing plate C beingin use while the ports 4 and 5 are thrown out of use. In the operationof the engine with the reversing plate in the position shown in Fig. 2ports 6 and 7 perform no function.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an engine reversing mechanism, the combination, with the cylinderand steam chest, of a sliding reversing plate mounted over the portsleading from said steam chest into said cylinder, said reversing platehaving two sets of ports, one set formed to lead directly through saidplate into the ports in the side of the cylinder at each end thereof andthe other set of ports being formed to lead from each end of the steamchest into the ports through the side of the cylinder at the oppositeends of the steam chest, a slide valve mounted on said reversing plate,and means for operating saidplate and valve comprising a connecting rodattached to one adapted to slide through a sleeve attached-to the other,substantially as set forth.

2. In an engine, the combination, of the cylinder formed with steamports for the inlet and exhaust of the steam through one side thereof,the steam chest secured on said side, a sliding reversing plate mountedon said side of said cylinder and formed with two sets of ports and acentral exhaust port, one set of ports being arranged to lead directlythrough said reversing plate into ports in the side of said cylinder andthe other set of ports being arranged to lead through said plate fromnear each end thereof on one side to near the other end thereof on theopposite admitted through the direct ports, a slide valve formed with ahollow under side or port forming a communication between the exhaustport and the exhaust port of the reversing plate, and means foroperating said plate and valve, substantially as set forth.

3. In an engine, the combination, with the cylinder having the portsthrough one side thereof, the steam chest secured to said side, thesliding reversing plate mounted on said side and formed with two sets ofports arranged to beused alternately to establish communication from thesteam chest to said cylinder and from said cylinder to the exhaust ort,the slide valve mounted on said reversing plate, means for operatingsaid reversing plate consisting of a steam operated sliding istonmounted in a chamber in one side of t e steam chest and connected tosaid reversing plate, a valve for controlling the steam to operate saidpiston in either direction, and an operating lever for said .valve,substantially as set forth.

4. A reversing mechanism for steam engines comprising a slidingreversing plate having two sets of ports each set being formed toregister with the ports leading into the cylinder interchangeable, theslide valve, means for operating said slide valve, and means foroperating said reversing plate consisting of a steam operated pistonconnected therewith and a valve for controlling the steam supply foroperating said piston, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at SpencerWest Virginia this 29th day of August, A. D. nineteen hundred and seven.

ALONZO RUNNION.

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